


Speak Out for Freedom

by thegalrahobbitofplantetgalilfrey



Series: The Arms of Voltron [5]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen, Keith gets kicked out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-17
Updated: 2017-05-17
Packaged: 2018-11-01 21:21:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10930278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegalrahobbitofplantetgalilfrey/pseuds/thegalrahobbitofplantetgalilfrey
Summary: Keith gets kicked out helping Katie. or, the three times Keith put up with the Garrison trash and the once he didn't.





	Speak Out for Freedom

 

“Hey, Kogane, how come you do so well in the simulator?”

Keith squinted suspiciously at the person talking to him. “Understanding. Hyper-focus, drive, a will to live. And a good role model.”

“What, that Takeshi Shirogane guy? He crashed. Not the best role model, if you ask me.”

Keith clenched his teeth and didn’t say anything.

 

 

“Kogane!”

Keith turned to the teacher who was waving at him. “Yes, sir?”

“A letter arrived for you!”

Keith took the letter out of his hand and turned it over. The envelope had been torn open.

“You opened my mail?”

“There was a lump in it. We had to make sure it was nothing dangerous.”

“And was it?”

“No.”

Keith shook his head and walked back to his room.

 

 

Pidge Gunderson. Katie’s pseudonym. What was she mailing him? He shook the envelope and a flash drive tumbled out. Nothing else. Keith sighed and plugged the drive into a computer.

 _Hey, Keith._ Words scrolled across the screen. _Listen, I need some help. I need you to plug this flash drive into Iverson’s computer, leave it there for another couple days and then get it to me. The drive will immediately start downloading every piece of information on Iverson’s computer the instant he types in the password. Thanks and good luck._

 

 

“Kogane, what are you doing in my office?”

“I had some questions about the Kerberos mission.” Keith leaned across the desk, covertly sliding the flash drive into the computer. There. Job done.

“I told you, Shirogane crashed, that was all there was to it. Now get out of my office before I remove you like I did Miss Holt.”

 

 

Keith plugged the flash drive into his computer, wondering what Katie had wanted. Images that he didn’t understand began to flash by. Images of the Kerberos mission landing safely, collecting ice, and… what was that purple light? Keith gasped and shoved his chair back. He _had_ to get this to Katie

Keith looked out the window. The Garrison was patting down students as they left for town. How was he supposed to get this drive to Katie? They obviously were checking mail, and he couldn’t smuggle the drive out that way… He brushed his bangs out of his eyes. He needed a haircut. Then an idea hit him like a thunderbolt.

 

 

“Kogane’s got a ponytail now. Aren’t you fancy?”

Keith gritted his teeth and kept moving. He couldn’t let this bother him.

“Like a little _girl_!”

“Well, seeing as how Leah beat you to a pulp last combat training, I will take that as a compliment.”

“Why you little…” He lunged for Keith, who cocked his head at the teachers and smirked.

“Kogane, I swear, I’m going to…”

“Going to what?” Keith stared him down challengingly.

“Remember,” the boy hissed, “Shiro’s not around to protect you anymore. He _crashed_ and he’s _space dust._ ”

Keith took in two deep breaths. He couldn’t let this bother him. He had a job to do. He _had_ to get that flash drive to Katie.

 

 

Keith looked out the bus window in a panic and one of the officers patted down Leah’s ponytail when she left the bus. Oh, no. No, no, no. They would find it. He had to do something.

“Hey Kogane,” the boy from before snarled, yanking on Keith’s ponytail, “You think that Shiro burned in a fiery inferno or was crushed by the vacuum of space?”

That was it. Keith snapped, lunged over the back of the back of the chair and wrapped his hands around the guy’s throat. The two tussled on the ground, punching and kicking.

“Alright! That’s _enough_!” Strong hands dragged Keith, still kicking and struggling, off of his classmate. Iverson glared. “Anyone care to explain?”

“Kogane attacked me like a crazy person when I asked him a question,” Keith’s opponent blubbered, “He’s nuts!”

Iverson looked at Keith. “Well, I can certainly see that happening.”

“He started it,” Keith muttered. He sounded like a child, but he didn’t care.

“ _Kogane_.”

“Tell me the truth, Iverson. What happened on the Kerberos mission?!”

Iverson sighed. “Looks like someone else hacked my computer. I suppose you had Miss Holt’s help?”

Keith glared silently, not saying a single word.

“Pat him down.”

Someone messed with his hair and pulled out the flash drive that had been hidden in Keith’s ponytail.

“Clever, Kogane. Very clever.” He dropped the drive on the ground and crushed it underfoot.

Keith yelled and gave a wild punch. It hit Iverson directly in the face, right where Iverson’s eye should be. A hush fell over the bus

Iverson stared right out Keith, and with controlled fury said, “Kogane. Get. Out. Of. My. Bus.”

“I…”

“Out! You are expelled! Never let me see your face again! Get your belongings and _leave_! You are never passing this school, and if I have any say in it, you will _never_ become a pilot! And Kogane,” he hissed, putting his face right up in Keith’s face, “If you go running to Miss Holt’s house, I can and _will_ have you arrested for spying on the government

Keith stumbled back as his dream was crushed into a thousand pieces with Katie’s flash drive. Never a pilot. Stuck on the ground. Friendless. Then he turned and _ran_. Ran away from Iverson, away from his classmates, away. Away from the rejection. Away.

 

 

“Alright, kid, this is as far as I take you. I’m not driving out into the desert.”

Keith nodded and climbed out of the taxi, watching it speed off. He sighed and opened his laptop, ready to e-mail Katie (since he was sure that Iverson was watching his phone) and tell her that the plan had failed. A small file blinked in the corner of the screen, and Keith opened it, confused. Pictures from the Kerberos mission.

 

 

Katie heard a little _dink_ from her computer, and she looked at her e-mail. One new message. From Keith.

 _Katie. Flash drive was destroyed, but there is something you_ need _to see. Meet me at my house._

Accompanying the e-mail was a list of directions to his house. Katie smiled. Now she was getting somewhere.


End file.
